If I could pick just five merry-go-rounds for all the human species to get sick of riding tomorrow morning and never hop on ‘em ever again, this would certainly make the cut: Putting an “executive guy” in charge of things outside his experience, hoping it all works out because “the business principles are the same.”[2]

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[1] First rule of business: If the customer is standing there with cash in hand, take the damn money!

[2] Snark from Kate at SDA: “But that's ok. Before he became President, Obama didn’t know anything about governing, either, and look how well that’s turning out.”

Friday, 26 June 2009

For the last ten years I have been employed as a graphic designer by the BIC Corporation. I was responsible for promotional material, trade and consumer advertising, sales collateral and “other.” You can see some of my work for BIC on this site that has my resume and portfolio. Just read through the resume part and click where it says Portfolio.

...When I started ten years ago the position handled about 100 design and print projects per year and that I have grown it to over 300 projects that include print, web and video......So if you feel there is some value in my ten years of corporate experience, the dedication to work 50 hours a week, and the talent to grow a position and you are looking to hire a designer, or know someone who is, check out the portfolio. Graphic design is a digital process so location doesn't matter. I can work for anyone anywhere.

These stories are so disturbing, and there is such a pervasive theme to them -- woman goes to court, gets protective order, man ignores legal process and slays her -- that years ago, I wrote a column at the Star, in the wake of yet another such tragedy. In that space, I urged women to arm themselves.

A woman who has a crazed man stalking and threatening her needs to get the biggest piece she can find and carry it with her at all times. Brothers and dads and friends of the woman, and other women for that matter, need to arm themselves as well. They should form a protective posse around this woman. The courts are clearly unable to offer real protection, not, at least, against a man who chooses violence and self-will.......Women need to think like men in these sorts of situations, and counselors and cops should advise them of that strategy, however boldly or subtly. Women need to -- as a friend used to say -- “strap on their leather balls” and go to work, protecting themselves and their children.

Legal gun ownership remains a right. Buy the weapon, register it, carry it and be prepared to defend yourself.

No news to my regular readers, but Ruth’s readers are not of the type usually found around here. Perhaps some of my well-armed lady readers might want to drop by and say hello.

Wednesday, 17 June 2009

The back-and-forth went on for 19 e-mails [!!! - o.g.], with the assistant apologizing six times if she had “offended” Becton, while Becton lectured about name-calling.

In the future, you should be VERY careful about such things. People like to brag about their connections in DC. It’s a past time for some. It’s also dangerous to eaves drop, as you have just found out. Quit apologizing and never call me anything but Elizabeth again. Also, make sure you correct anyone who attempts to call me by any other name but Elizabeth. Are we clear on this? Like I said, it’s a hot button for me.

Tuesday, 16 June 2009

First stop, Epping

Either you get this, or you don’t. (I think it’s cool!) :

I’m Going Underground - USA Style (Episode 1)On May 2nd 2006, I gave up everything I had in England and moved 4,000 miles west to the town of Charleston, South Carolina - a state which just a few months before I admit I’d heard of but didn’t really know whereabouts in America it was.

And now it’s three years later…

So … the plan is to leave Charleston on June 15th 2009 and head up to the state of Maine. There is a tiny town there called Epping, which matches up with the tube station in London with the same name. I quite like the fact that Epping, Maine is located in the top right of the USA and that Epping, London is located in the top right of the tube map. A perfect way to start.

I’ve then found the name of a place in all of the mainland/contiguous 48 states of USA that shares a name with a place on the tube map (using the fantastic placenames.com) - and I’ll be driving to all of them to see what’s there. I’ll also obviously take in some of the more traditional ‘things to see’ in the USA on my way round, as well as some offbeat quirky things too...